Burlington Rural Free Delivery

2004 WAS THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF RURAL MAIL DELIVERY IN BURLINGTON

Rural free delivery started in Burlington on February 1, 1904. Prior to that time, citizens had to travel to the post office in downtown Burlington, or to the post office in a nearby village, to pick up their mail.

The patrons on the first routes, the routes followed by the mail carriers, and the names of the first regular and substitute carriers on each route are shown below. The six rural routes at that time, which were part of a county-wide numbering system, were numbers 17 through 22

The information was obtained from articles in the two Burlington weekly newspapers of the time:  The Free Press and the Standard Democrat. The information has been lightly edited and alternative spellings of names have been added. The names on each route are in alphabetical order.

Names Of Patrons Served By Carriers From Burlington
When Post Office Started Rural Route Delivery In 1904

BURLINGTON'S POST OFFICE WAS IN THE HOCH BUILDING ON
THE NORTH SIDE OF CHESTNUT STREET JUST EAST
OF THE "BEND" FROM 1891 TO 1908.

 RURAL ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS

Free Press, December 23, 1903

Postmaster Theodore Riel has received word from Washington that the mail routes laid out from this city, and in fact all the routes of the Racine and Kenosha county system, will be opened on Feb. 1, 1904, when regular service will begin. Six routes will be started out from Burlington, besides the star route service to Rochester and Waterford.

The routes out of Burlington will be known as Nos. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 and were laid out by Special Agent Fox early in the fall. Postmaster Riel will establish the routes with six carriers, who will receive a salary of $600 per annum each, including horse hire. The routes are as follows:

Route No. 17  Commencing at the Burlington post office, the carrier will go northeast 2 miles to Marsland corner, thence east to J. Squire 4-3/8 miles, north and east to M. Quirk 1 mile, north to J. Spriggs 1/2  mile, west to S. Stenhouse corner 2 miles, south to F. Pihringer corner 2 miles, west to H. Pihringer corner 3/4 miles, north to Hegeman corner 2 miles, northeast to J. Finan corner 2-3/8 miles, northwest to James Edwards 1/2 mile, west to R. E. Ela 2 miles, south and southeast to Stenhouse corner 1-1/2 miles, thence southwest to the post office 5 miles. Length of route, 26 miles; area covered, 15 square miles; number of houses on route, 100; population served, 500.

Route No. 18  Commencing at the Burlington post office, the carrier will go east to School No. 7, Dover township 5-3/4 miles, thence south through Dover to Callahan corner 1-1/4 miles, east, north and east to J. Engelhardt corner 2-1/2 miles, north to J. Gorman corner 1-1/4 miles, northwest, southwest and west to creamery on township line 3-1/2 miles, south to McGilles corner 2 miles, east to J. M. Madigan residence 3/4 miles, west and south to H. Uhen corner 1-1/2 miles, thence northwest to the post office 5 miles. Length of route, 23-1/2 miles, ; area covered, 15 square miles; number of houses on route, 100; population served, 500.

Route No. 19  Commencing at the Burlington post office, the carrier will go southeast to Sengbusch corner 1 mile, thence south and southeast to H. Luke corner 2-1/2 miles, northeast 1/2 mile, southeast and south to A. Runkel corner 2-5/8 miles, east to C. Evans corner 1 mile, north to J. Leach 2-1/4 miles, southeast to B. O'Brien 1-1/4 miles, south to J. Brook corner 1-3/4 miles, west to C. Evans corner 1 mile, south to J. H. Rafferty corner 1 mile, west to school No. 11 1-1/4 miles, south and southeast to J. P. Runkel 1-1/2 miles, northwest to Heiderman corner 1 mile, thence north and northwest to the post office 7 miles. Length of route, 25-5/8 miles; area covered, 18 square miles; number of houses on route, 102; population served, 510.

Route No. 20  Commencing at the Burlington post office, the carrier will go south to Slade's Corners 6-3/4 miles, thence east 1/2 and west 3/4 miles, south to Powers post office 2 miles, southeast and east to H. Holzheimer 2-1/8 miles, north to school No. 2 2 miles, west to C. Steffen corner 1/2 mile, north to county line 2 miles, east 1/2 and north 1/2 mile, south 1/2 and west 3/8 miles, northwest to school house 2-5/8 miles, north to C. Brainerd 1/2 mile, thence east, northeast and north to the post office 3-3/8 miles. Length of route, 25 miles; area covered, 14 square miles; number of houses on route, 103; population served, 515.

Route No. 21  Commencing at the Burlington post office, the carrier will go southwest into Lyons township, Walworth county, to school No. 1 3-1/8 miles, thence south to B. Roanhouse corner 2-1/4 miles, east to Kresken corner, Racine county, 3/4 mile, south to J. Schmitz, Kenosha county 2-3/4 miles, west to Schenning corner 1 mile, south to Dale corner 1/2 mile, west to Bloomfield 2-1/8 miles, north to D. W. Dike corner Spring Prairie township, Walworth County, 7-7/8 miles, east to J. E. Bartholf corner 1 mile, north to A. Bartholf residence 3/8 mile, south 3/8 mile, thence east to the post office 3 miles. Length of route 25-1/8 miles; area covered, 18 square miles; number of houses on route, 110; population served, 550.

Route No. 22  Commencing at the Burlington post office, the carrier will go north to J. Young corner 2 miles, thence northeast to E. Ayers 2-1/2 miles, north to D. White 1 mile, east to Rochester post office 1-3/4 miles, north to G. Hulbert corner 2 miles, west to H. Cooper 2 miles, south to B. F. Fowler 2 miles, southwest to P. Kinney estate 3/4 mile, northeast 3/4 mile, west to Honey Creek 2-1/4 miles, south and southwest through Vienna and south to school No. 7 4-1/2 miles, east to H. Dahlman 1-1/2 miles, south and southeast to the post office 2-1/4 miles. Length of route, 25-1/4 miles; area covered, 20 square miles; number of houses on route, 103; population served 515.

The establishment of the service must not be delayed for any reason, or the routes as laid down changed, without the direct authorization of the department.

Postmaster Riel is directed to see that the rural carriers leave the post office for delivery of their mail at 7:30 a. m. and that they return with their collections in time to dispatch mail by 3:00 p. m.

The star route between Slade's Corners and Burlington will be discontinued sometime after the establishment of the service. Upon notice of the discontinuance of the star route, the rural carrier of route No. 20 will carry a closed pouch to and from the Slade's Corners post office containing all mail to and from the Burlington office.
 

OUR SIX RURAL MAIL CARRIERS

Standard Democrat, January 16, 1904

Last Saturday morning Postmaster Riel and the six rural mail carriers who will travel from the Burlington office received notice of their appointment from Washington. The service will begin on Monday, Feb. 1, and those who have not put up their boxes should do so by that time. The carriers leave the Burlington office at 7:30 a. m. Below is a list of the carriers and substitutes:

        Route No. 17   George P. Goodwin, regular; Mrs. George P. Goodwin, substitute.
        Route No. 18   John A. McNamara, regular; Thomas M. McNamara, substitute.
        Route No. 19   Henry A. Cook, regular; Len Brainerd, substitute.
        Route No. 20   Frank J. Blanke, regular; John Blanke, substitute.
        Route No. 21   Fred Martin, regular; Edward Brierly, substitute.
        Route No. 22   R. C. Carpenter, regular; H. B. Carpenter, substitute.

FRED MARTIN, RURAL MAIL CARRIER, ROUTE 21 – ABOUT 1904